2008 World Conference

Welcome to the World Conference 2008. Discussions and Strategic Planning Sessions made up this year's World Conference. The overall theme as defined by Kelly O'Dea focused on Adapting to Changing Times.

Presentations

• OBI Future Planning: This is a Power Point presentation given by Kelly O'Dea and Ian Wade at the 2008 World Conference. It focuses on the facilitation of dialogue around the Future of OB and Strategic Planning.
• Current Role of OBI: This presentation was given by Ian Wade at the OBI World Conference 2008. It details the current role of OBI. This presentation guided the dialogue on Day Two of the conference which focused on the future Role of OBI

Purpose

• Understand the principal reasons for our success.
• Understand the challenges ahead
• Begin moving into the next chapter
• Discuss / share ideas to adapt and lead in changing times
• Basis for our global strategic plan.
• Ideas you can use now in your markets.

Core Issues Moving Forward

• How do we remain relevant, vital, important to people?
• How do we reach out to more people? (99.4% of people have not experienced OB)
• How do we ensure our future in changing and challenging times?
• There is a very big market for Outward Bound!
• Plenty of room to grow…but limited resources to grow with.

Adapting to Changing Times

There are several key questions identified by Kelly O'Dea, chair of the OBI board.

1. What can we do with current operations to survive a long term economic downturn?
• Ideas that increase enrollments
• Ideas that increase cost efficiency
• Ideas that generate more visibility & interest
• Ideas to generate more resources, e.g. fund raising, gov’t and corporate support etc.
2. New Programming and Outreach
• Are there new programs to consider?
• Are there new markets?
• What Worldwide issues exist that OB should and could address through program development?
• Should we be developing global programs that address global issues?
• Can we better integrate the OB experience into the community, eg: education and youth organizations?

Scope of Thinking

• In the Box
• Outside the Box

Breakout Team Reports

The larger group divided into four Breakout Groups to discuss Kelly's questions and comments.

TEAM 1

Process

Team Building: Team One began their discussion with a team building activity led by Dieter Reinig from OBPro Germany

Chair Tipping Initiative Everyone stood in a circle, facing in with their chair in front of them. The task was to balance your chair on its rear two feet and on the command 1-2-3-Go to let go of your chair and catch the next one to your left before it's front feet hit the ground; to then balance that chair and repeat. The challenge was to complete one full circle and catch your original chair without anyone in the group letting a chair land on all four feet or crash to the ground. -looking behind and ahead -Sharing ideas -focused on chairs ..hard to see bigger picture -focused on chair new ideas came in, only focused on what's next to catch next chair -tipping point: awareness of this creates focus

Transference to reality:

1. Share ideas /solutions across OB network * Example: OBI WILL WORK FOR FOOD!
2. Focus more on front (future) tasks at each school than behind
3. Stabilize first then move forward
4. Keep it Simple (efficiency, cost reduction, future more complex)
5. Keep on your toes - Flexibility: How to keep it simple but still respond to complex opportunities
6. Keep an eye on the "customer" - what do they need?
7. Balance between "efficiency/cost reduction" and maintaining capacity through innovation and adaptation
8. Re-packaging & reframing product
9. Proportion of cost base fixed or variable time frame
10. Focus on most profitable products
11. Products value is endearing and relevant
12. Beware of diversification (impulsive additions of new products)

Ideas that Generate More Enrollment

1. Collaborative cross-marketing
2. Increase focus on current clients
3. Corporate responsibility fundraising
4. Invest in selling
5. Value additions products (buy one price for two plus safari)
6. New target customers (Gap Year, valued brand, international programs)

Ideas that Generate Visibility & Interest

1. Expert "White Papers" on topical problems of value to clients.
2. Positioning OB as expert
3. Top of mind visibilty
4. Wiki-based library for all to use

Ideas that Increase Cost Efficiency

1. Fixed overhead
2. Prep time when there is no course running
3. Maximize group size 12-15, could this be larger?
4. Shared marketing/purchasing across network
5. Seasonal staff swapping
6. Standardized courses
7. Optimize scheduling
8. Focus - most profitable products, key customers, etc.
9. Extended life on non-safety critical equipment.
10. Sell equipment etc prior to depreciation
11. Decrease Range of activities/equipment
12. Less innovation (WR) (experimentation - careless pilots)
13. Keep It Simple

Ideas to Generate More Resources

1. Corporate "responsibility" sponsorship - Tap into Donation and/or Marketing Funds in Corporate Budgets
2. Government Training/Training funds
3. Do not Use Charity...instead focus on corporate social responsibility
4. Volunteer Expertise
5. Global Client List On Wiki/OBI Web - Already there! Ask your colleagues!!!
6. Fund Raising - same goes as global clients

Role Of OBI

Existing Services to Keep in Place

Keep these but find alternative expense level for them.

• Trademark (20k)
• Licensing (This should be provided at fee for service, including overhead)
• Safety
• Communication

Manage Services

• Raise dues
• Bigger Schools derive value from licensing/supporting newer schools (should pay more)

Possible Other Services

• Continued Guest Expeditions
• Cross-marketing
• Consultancy services
• Development projects
• Global sales
• Marketing Portal

TEAM 2

Team Starfish! This group utilized the metaphor of a starfish for their team name and to guide their process. Starfish have limbs which break off and regrow. The larger animal regrows as does the limb. OB is like this in that it grows continually with new schools and new programs. These schools are not managed formally but are coordinated and guided through a common theme.

General Ideas

Look at what's going on around world. Cultivate web tools to promote growth.

What is Growth?

1. Definition of Growth Quality and Quantity
2. Growth in very different as to maturity of school
3. Flexibility $ creativity essential
4. Need for global leveraging of information
5. New Markets/New Populations
• Diversity Programs (Ethnic groups (NZ)
• Health - Cancer - Belgium
• Managing change in corportions
• Veterans programs
• OB School Exchange Programs
• Expand Guest Expeditions
• Service Expeditions
• Large contractswith World Bank & Rotary
• Expand ELOB in Schools
• University Programs with credit
• Gap Year programs
• Post graduate programs
• Language Learning Exchange Programs
• Corporate Sponsored Youth "exotic programs" (Korea)
• OB acting as Social Entrepreneurs
• Regional approach/service delivery
• Multiplicators (network nodes that influence others - Example: teach teachers who then influence others)
• Corporate Social Responsibility within Corporations
• Baby Boom population
• Relationship Pairs

Role of OBI

• Keep services in place. Discussed the way standards are set and then remain in place.
• Codify and standardize safety practices
• Longer time frame between safety reviews for established schools
• OBI should fundraise for its own costs
• Maintain services where OB schools can use OBI for fundraising when they need it
• OBI should fundraise for local school or local activity when needed (shared expense)
• OBI should charge for services
• Should OBI be contact for multinationals? (Not discussed)
• Promotion of member communication (Wiki, etc. good value, but added costs must show value)
• OBI conference should be culmination of regional conferences. Promote regional conferences
• Increase global expeditions for local folks
• Can OBI structure global supplier contracts? - Uncertain but worth ongoing dialogue
• What is tangible outcome of revenue fee increases? Make these known to all schools. Need rational basis.
• Strong feeling that individual organizations do things that do not go through OBI. These do not get shown for fees.

TEAM 3

Process

Floating Thoughts Strategy

Floating Thoughts

Crisis is easier to deal with than tough times. what needs to be done is obvious more difficult to navigate through choppy waters retaining the quality and integrity of your product. Must be ready to emerge to take advantage of new world order.

Tough Times

What enables you to survive is what enables you to provide At core, something which is enduring and timeless Convince buyers or donors that product is of value In difficult times you have to think hard about how you differentiate yourself in the market place What's OB? Why OB? Marketing selling of even more importance (in need of investment) Retain healthy focus on evaluation (what are outcomes..what is value) More thought on evaluation will help in marketplace

Cost Reduction

• Cut costs
• DO NOT CUT QUALITY
• Avoid taking actions that will cause irreparable harm to organization
• Staff Training...DON'T CUT IT!!!!!!!!!

Sharpening Financial Analysis

Easy to be confused by assumptions UK determined that busyness was not best business model Believe in core product (convey this to staff) Concentrate in what you do best

Crisis equals opportunity

Offer Joe the plumber OB course..etc.

No One right way to do things, no single route

Work out what's best in your business

Role of OBI

Services well streamlined. They cost the least they can. Fair formula.

Fundraising

Discussed fundraising in member countries. Noted that it has been Historically difficult for OBI to raise money in member countries because those countries are already fundraising there. Is it possible to open this up? Should be possible to agree on set amount to stay within.

Dues

People will pay more based on products received. Services need to be defined and each school must consider if they are paying for the services or not. All schools should pay for necessary services from OBI. Services should be provided at a reasonable and acceptable cost to members.

TEAM 4

Process

Dramaturgy, a technique of Outward Bound Czech Republic, energized the Discussion and highlighted Out of the Box Thinking.

Ideas

1. Environmental initiatives
• Costa Rica Outward Bound
• Thompson Island Outward Bound
2. Reconnecting and reconciling Cultural Roots
3. Expansion within cities: Shorter Courses closer to home (NZ contributes to community (US)
4. Reorient & sharpen Program Focus
5. From "Youth" to "Emerging" (NZ)
6. Readiness for (CA)
7. Motivate young workers to greater self-awareness and capability
8. Special Populations (HK, US) –Veterans, Adictive, Prison Populations
9. Serving 8-10 year olds
10. Connecting with alumni for a life long experience (recruiting students, supporting $) Progressive certification for increased skill (Instructors/ Educators)
11. Programs Funded By Health Insurance
12. Instructors as a source for new programs
13. Horizons: anticipating corporate needs through feedback (CZ)
14. L/T Unemployed youth (With the economic depression, possible government funding to work social programs)
15. College/ High School accredited courses
16. Partner with other Hahn based communities (UWC, Edinborough)

Steps to Manage Through this Crisis

1. Real Estate sales
2. Sale / Lease Back "Sugar Daddy"
3. Revenue Replacement –Aggressive marketing

World–Wide Issues

1. Global Warming & Sustainability
2. Global Conflict/ Recognition/ Returning Veterans
3. "No Child Left Inside" USA –Nature Deficit Disorder (More sedentary Youth and Risk-Averse Parents
4. Aging Population
5. Diversity & Inclusion
6. Intolerance, Classism, Racism, Genocide
• Peacebuilding
• Outward Bound Croatia
7. OBI’s Diversity Operation, Sharing Instructors, Commitment to new OB schools in conflict areas.

Role of OBI

1. Maintaining brand
2. Safety Reviews - should continue continue with two staff from different countries.
3. Licensing: The term limits for Provisional status should be shorter. Granting and removal of licenses effective. Pleased with tightening/streamlining of ops council work around prospective school.
4. Conferences: staff symposium more valuable than World Conference. Perhaps have only one every two years.
5. Any innovations that come out of OBI should come up through the Operations Council.
6. ED should not have to travel too much.
7. Some people internationally should be approached for dues.? explain this....? higher level of dues for those working with professionals.